Internet Exercises

Internet Exercises

1. Primate Language: Read the page entitled "Primate Use of Language" created by Lauren Kosseff at http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/psych26/language.htm.
   1. Who was Kanzi? What abilities with language did Kanzi demonstrate?
   2. Who was Washoe? What abilities with language did Washoe demonstrate?
   3. Who was Loulis? What abilities with language did Loulis demonstrate?
   4. Who was Nim? What abilities with language did Nim demonstrate?
   5. Do you think that language is uniquely human? Which parts of human language do primates possess?
      
      
2. Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of the Teralingua web site at http://www.terralingua.org/faqs.html. Terralingua is an international, nonprofit organization concerned about the future of the world's biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity.
   1. Currently, which five languages are the most commonly used in the world?
   2. What percentage of the world's languages are spoken by 10,000 or fewer people?
   3. How does the FAQ distinguish between a language and a dialect?
   4. What five characteristics does Terralingua use to define what groups constitute a minority? How is this definition different from or similar to your own understanding of what a minority group is?
   5. Why do you think it is important to maintain linguistic diversity around the world? Knowing what you do about the link between language, culture, knowledge, and identity, how much information will be lost as more languages go extinct?